Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Must You Grind Flaxseed to Get Its Nutritional B…
The humble flaxseed is now being hailed as a superfood because it is a great source of fiber, healthful omega-3 fats and lignans. The fiber content is helpful against constipation. A systematic review…
What Is the Story on Grapefruit Juice and Meds?
What do you know about the story on grapefruit juice and drug interactions? Some people have heard that it is risky to combine juice but not fruit with certain medications; others insist that the inte…
Show 1160: How Good Is the Evidence for Cutting …
For decades, public health experts have been admonishing Americans to cut the salt in our diets. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that we limit ourselves to 2,300 mg of sodium daily.…
The Best Way to Lower Your Blood Pressure with E…
High blood pressure (hypertension) increases the risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney damage. While numerous medications can treat hypertension, many people would like to control their blood pres…
Another ARB Recall Translates into Bad BP Contro…
Yup, you guessed it. The FDA has issued another ARB recall. This time it is for losartan…again. On March 15, 2019 and again on March 19, 2019 the FDA announced that Legacy Pharmaceutical Packaging, …
Physicians Finally Fed Up With the FDA and ARB R…
Week after week, month after month, we have been learning about ARB recalls. These angiotensin receptor blockers have been taken by at least two million Americans to control blood pressure or treat he…
What Is the Right Dose of Baking Soda?
We love simple remedies using ingredients you already have on hand in your pantry, so long as they work and they are safe. One time-honored approach to ease indigestion is taking a baking soda solutio…
Could Aggressive Blood Pressure Control Save You…
A new study suggests that aggressive blood pressure control may have modest benefits for cognitive function (The SPRINT MIND investigators, JAMA, Jan. 28, 2019). That is the conclusion from a fol…
Swollen Ankles from Amlodipine and Swollen Tongu…
"Swelling" as a drug side effect doesn't seem like that big a deal. Yet drug-induced swelling can be unpleasant at best and life threatening at worst. Amlodipine (Norvasc) is the second most frequentl…
Unbelievable! Yet Another Drug Recall | Amlodipi…
OK, we admit it, we're starting to sound like a cracked record when it comes to drug recalls. We apologize. It is really sad that we have to issue regular reports about FDA oversight and pharmaceutica…
Another Day Another Losartan Recall | Can We Tru…
Are you becoming numb to FDA generic drug recalls? We wouldn't blame you if you were. The ARB debacle came to light on July 5, 2018. That's when the European Medicines Agency (EMA) started warning cou…
Exercise for Blood Pressure Control Is Surprisin…
Have you checked your blood pressure recently? Guidelines from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) encourage physicians to treat people with systolic bloo…
Is Your Blood Pressure Medicine Safe? Valsartan …
The ongoing saga of contaminated valsartan continues with another valsartan recall. In July, European drug regulators recalled Chinese-made valsartan because it was contaminated with a probable carcin…
Chinese-Made Losartan Recall | More Cancer Conce…
No, no, no, no no! Not again!! Just last week we said "Not Again" when we learned that that some formulations of the blood pressure drug irbesartan were contaminated with the impurity NDEA (N-nitrosod…
Brits Contradict U.S. Experts About Blood Pressu…
A key component of medical treatment is blood pressure management. Whenever you visit a doctor’s office, you will almost always have your blood pressure measured. Guidelines from the American Colleg…
The Pros and Cons of Treating Mild Hypertension
Prepare for whiplash. A year ago the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) issued new guidelines for treating mild hypertension. People with blood pressure at o…
ACE Inhibitors and Lung Cancer | Should You Be C…
Popular blood pressure medications called ACE inhibitors have been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are taken daily by more than 30 mill…
What Does Gum Disease Have to Do With Your Blood…
Gum disease has been associated with type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and a number of cardiovascular complications. Researchers have even found links with some types of cancer. Gum …
Searching for a Better Blood Pressure Pill
Under the guidelines adopted by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association in 2017, nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure. Most of them take medication to …
Show 1134: Can You Control Your Blood Pressure W…
High blood pressure is an important risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. A recent change in guidelines urges doctors to treat people whose blood pressure would not have been considered particula…
Helping Your Heart Means Boosting Your Brain
We have long suspected that taking care of your heart health with exercise, a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, stress management and social interaction could also benefit your brain. …
Is Salt Good or Bad for Your Health?
You have heard for years that salt is sinful. People who sprinkle salt on their food are frowned upon by many health professionals. The diet dictocrats will tell you that if you eat chips and salsa, c…
What Are Natural Ways to Lower High Blood Pressu…
Do you have hypertension? The chances are strong that you do. That’s because cardiologists at the American Heart Association have established new guidelines. Anyone whose blood pressure readings are…
The Valsartan Recall Disaster Keeps Getting Wors…
The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its recall of the blood pressure drug valsartan for the third time. On July 5th the European Medicines Agency issued an alert that Chinese-made valsartan …
Valsartan Recall Update: How Big Is The Problem?
By now you have read a lot about the valsartan recall. Many lots of the common blood pressure pill, valsartan, have been recalled. Initially, the FDA issued recalls for valsartan from just three manuf…
Pharmacist Wouldn’t Take Back Recalled Valsart…
On July 5, 2018 the European Medicines Agency announced a recall of a generic blood pressure medicine called valsartan (Diovan). The active ingredient in some generic formulations was apparently conta…
Worrisome Implications of Valsartan Recall Over …
On July 15, 2018 we issued a People’s Pharmacy Health Alert: Valsartan Blood Pressure Pills Recalled Over Cancer Concerns. We tried to provide you, our faithful readers, the story behind the headlin…
Valsartan Blood Pressure Pills Recalled over Can…
This is scary. Please pay attention. Valsartan (Diovan) is a popular blood pressure and heart medication. According to our calculations, over 16 million prescriptions are dispensed annually. That mean…
Antibiotic Plus BP Medicine Led to Deadly Drug I…
We have been writing about the dangers of drug interactions for over 40 years. We assumed that when computers entered the scene doctors would check for dangerous drug combinations before prescribing a…
How Much Beet Juice Will Lower Your Blood Pressu…
People with high blood pressure are more likely to experience heart attacks and strokes. That is why doctors emphasize blood pressure control. They often prescribe medication to achieve this goal. Som…
What’s the Best Way to Take Blood Pressure Mea…
Health professionals often rely upon blood pressure measurements taken in the clinic to diagnose hypertension. If a patient has a blood pressure (BP) reading greater than 130/80 in a doctor’s office…
What Happens When Minor Drug Side Effects Turn D…
Health professionals often categorize drug side effects three ways. First come the common complications of medicines. If 20 to 30 percent of patients complain of headaches or diarrhea after taking a m…
Metoprolol for High Blood Pressure Raised Blood …
Metoprolol is a beta blocker heart medicine. It is perennially on the doctors’ top 10 hit parade of most prescribed medicines. Over the last decade, roughly 70 million prescriptions were dispensed e…
Hydrochlorothiazide Triggers Gout |Cherries to t…
Are you taking HCTZ or HCT? Those are the abbreviations for hydrochlorothiazide. This “thiazide” diuretic is probably one of the most prescribed drugs in the world. By our count, over 20 million p…
The Best Christmas Present Yet!
Do you hate thinking about shopping for presents at this time of year? What do you give mom or grandpa. What about the neighbors or cousin Charlie? Just trying to come up with the right gift for peopl…
Doctors Battle Over High Cholesterol and Blood P…
Ask doctors what key measurements they rely on to assess the overall health of a patient and you are likely to hear about high cholesterol and blood pressure. Elevated blood sugar is not far behind. C…
Do You Have High Blood Pressure?
Millions of Americans may be shocked to learn that they have high blood pressure according to the latest guidelines from the nation’s cardiologists. The American Heart Association and the American C…
Will You Experience Drug Shortages Because of Hu…
There is an epidemic of drug shortages in the U.S. It has been going on for years. The reasons are often hard to pin down. Drug company consolidation has contributed. The big fish swallow the smaller …
Will Your Pain Pill Boost Your Blood Pressure?
People in pain are caught in a terrible bind. When you hurt, it is common for your blood pressure to go up. That's hardly a surprise. Pain is extremely stressful for your entire body. But taking nonst…
Low-Salt Food Tastes Blah: How Helpful Is It?
We've been told to ban the salt shaker and avoid salty foods. No more chips, pretzels or pickles. But are there tradeoffs when you cut back on sodium? Low-sodium soup often tastes bland. Even when you…